A Lot Of People Are Seemingly Taking Time Off Work To Play GTA 6. Are You?
Data from BambooHR, an HR software company serving over 30,000 companies, reveals that employees across the United States are taking significant time off to play Grand Theft Auto 6 following its November 19 launch. Paid time off (PTO) requests for the day of the game’s release are running 9–17% above historical averages from previous years, suggesting a notable cultural moment around the highly anticipated title.
The trend is consistent across all measured checkpoints, indicating this isn’t an isolated phenomenon but a widespread pattern among the surveyed employee base. The data supports anecdotal reports and social media discussions about players planning to take time off from work on GTA 6’s release day. With the game launching on a Thursday, some employees are strategically timing their time off to maximize their available playing time.
This phenomenon reflects the cultural significance of the Grand Theft Auto franchise and the substantial anticipation surrounding GTA 6’s release. The 9–17% increase in PTO requests demonstrates that the game’s launch has become a notable enough event that it’s influencing employee time-off decisions across thousands of companies.